Ben Dijkstra on the podium at the Sainsbury's School Games after winning the 3,000m.

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YOUTH Olympic champion Ben Dijkstra has battled through a gruelling summer and he admits success at the Sainsbury’s 2014 School Games was the perfect way to cap it all off.

Dijkstra was among more than 1,600 talented athletes from across the UK to descend on Manchester to compete in 12 sports across four action packed days.

And there were few brighter talents than Loughborough triathlete Dijkstra present, the winner of Great Britain’s first gold medal at last month’s Youth Olympics in Nanjing.

Despite clocking up the miles this summer Dijkstra has maintained his impressive form and stormed to gold in the 3000m in Manchester, nearly eight seconds in front of his nearest competitor.

And reflecting on a golden year, the 15-year-old Loughborough Grammar School pupil admitted avoiding injury has been the key ingredient to his national and international dominance.

“It’s brilliant to win,” he said. “It was my first time at the Games and it was a really good experience and it’s the end to a brilliant season. I’m chuffed with this result.

“This is massive really. I’ve just come back from the Youth Olympics and that was an amazing experience, but the School Games was similar obviously being a multi-sport event.

“So you had loads of people from other sports and it was really nice to meet some other athletes and meet some new friends.

“I think it [the good form] has just been going since my first race on the track and before that the cross-country season.

“I opened up the track season with an 8:33minutes 3000m at Loughborough and I knew just had to stay healthy and injury-free and I’d have a good season.”

There was further Loughborough success at the athletics as first-year student Josh Bain crowned off a whirlwind season with ambulant discus gold and shot put silver – fresh from starring at the European Championships last month.

Rhys Thompson, who is also heading to Loughborough University, picked up silver in judo’s +81kg category and Panagiotis Mamuneas claimed ambulant shot gold ahead of Bain followed by bronze behind him in the discus.

“I’m very happy with my performance, unfortunately I didn’t get a personal best but next time I need to try harder and focus more on my training,” said the 17-year-old, who trains at Loughborough University.

“I’d love to go to Rio 2016 and my biggest goal would be to win a medal but I think it’s too early to win one at the moment.

“I’m on the Great Britain futures programme at the moment. When I turn 18 my distance will be on the world rankings, so I can’t qualify for things like the Europeans yet.

“But I’d love to go to the World Championships next year and get at least a bronze medal.”

• The Sainsbury’s 2014 School Games, which is supported by National Lottery funding from Sport England and delivered by the Youth Sport Trust, was held in venues across Manchester from 4-7 September 2014. Visit www.2014schoolgames.com for more information.